**Insert witty diary title here**

foxgloves

I always do a mid-month check-in. I've just done it today, actually. It is useful on a practical level as I am alerted to anything that looks a bit iffy, but can also enjoy feeling like a smuggins if it's all looking great & shiny. It also works on a psychological level because I feel involved & proactive. 
F 

moving_forward

foxgloves said:

I always do a mid-month check-in. I've just done it today, actually. It is useful on a practical level as I am alerted to anything that looks a bit iffy, but can also enjoy feeling like a smuggins if it's all looking great & shiny. It also works on a psychological level because I feel involved & proactive. 
F 

Trouble is in my day job I update figures daily it spills over into real life. I also know to the penny w
What we have spent but its the motivation to not spend I seem to be lacking in. I need to heed ypur advice on your diary and make the CHOICE to get on top of debt busting and living to our means and stop choosing to blow it all along with our future us's spends. I.e. stop blaming lack of willpower.

foxgloves

I prefer to think of it as choices. The problem with 'Willpower' is that we can easily grant ourselves an opt-out by saying that we don't have any. But we have a choice whether to blow £50 on a new cushion (or whatever) or to do something else with the money. If we don't like the result of the choices we're making (debt, no emergency fund, resulting lack of security) then we need to make different ones. I spent a great many years making the wrong choices before finally waking up to the fact that I'd need to do things differently if I wanted different results.
And the LBM was born!
F

redofromstart

Nearly Friday again, hurrah!
I get the psychology of your point,and think it is rather like being on a diet and trying to remind yourself that 'nothing tastes as good as thin feels'. I still eat the (GF) biscuit half the time anyway.  The (clever/hard) trick is to break the cycle, and in my case not buy the biscuits in the first place.

moving_forward

redofromstart said:

Nearly Friday again, hurrah!
I get the psychology of your point,and think it is rather like being on a diet and trying to remind yourself that 'nothing tastes as good as thin feels'. I still eat the (GF) biscuit half the time anyway.  The (clever/hard) trick is to break the cycle, and in my case not buy the biscuits in the first place.

Biscuits are staying in this thread! no banning of biscuit buying/making here 
But I do get what you mean about dieting being similar to debt busting.  We know what we need to do, in most cases how we need to do it but prefer making excuses to actually knuckling down.

moving_forward

In the words of someone I forget..."thank **** its Friday (insert own word depending on level of swearing!)
Debt busting is still a bit on the slow side of waiting for a new month to get going. 
Have being nosying (sp?) on the grocery challenge thread on Money Saving Old Style thread and have to admit there's some excellent advice/ideas.  Food whether at home or out (or purchased out to eat in **hangs head in shame**) is one of our biggest spends.  I am trying to get my cooking mojo back and it is returning slowly.  Like most full time workers I find doing a batch session on a weekend is proving the best idea with some freezer ready standbys for Mr M_F to chuck in the oven a big help.
The last time I tried weekend batch cooking I was met with mutterings at the amount of time and freezer space it took up so I am keeping it to an hour or two a day at weekend and ensuring freezer space is plentiful before planning. I do find baking a cake at the same time as meal prep seems to keep Mr M_F in good spirits even if not good for the waistline.  

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Todays spends have included a sandwich, coffee and sweet treat from Greggs- because its Friday.
A bottle of wine and some choc covered Pretzels - because its Friday.
Must get out of this "its Fridays so we deserve a treat (or 3!) mentality.  We have a lovely home, two lovely pets each other and family.  We need to appreciate what we have rather than what "we deserve".
In brighter??? news I am currently on sky web chat trying to speak to someone regarding these price increases.  I tried earlier but got no response so am here wine in hand (hic!!) waiting rather impatiently for a reply!

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Opps spends really should include the Mr T delivery we got coming at some point this evening and the planned Takeaway.

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Mr T has arrive early ** yah Mr T** now awaiting monthly takeaway treat **ymmmmmmm**
(yes I am still waiting for Sky to respond to me on webchat **sigh**)

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Chinese was £26.00 **oops** very much enjoyed by all except Puss Cat who turned his nose up at some Spare Rib.
Dog is munching her way through her spare rib and seems quite happy